Press Release

FGCU Professor Selected Fellow of
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
3/23/2007

FORT MYERS, FL - James D. Sweeney, professor and chair of the Department of Bioengineering at Florida Gulf Coast University, was recently elected to be a Fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, or AIMBE, in Washington, D.C. by The College of Fellows for outstanding achievements in medical and biological engineering.

The formal induction ceremony was held on March 1 in Washington, D.C. at the annual conference, which brings together the outstanding medical and biological engineers in academia, government and industry to showcase new technologies and provide a forum for discussing public policy issues in the field.

Sweeney joined FGCU in August 2006 to lead the University's efforts in building bioengineering education and research. He received a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Brown University in Providence, R.I., and a master's degree and doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

His research, educational and conference efforts have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, the Whitaker Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Flinn Foundation, and the American Heart Association. Sweeney is a senior member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, and a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society as well as the American Society for Engineering Education. In addition, Sweeney has written over 50 journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings papers and patents.

Fellow status is an honor conferred by AIMBE, which is a leading national advocate for technological innovations that save and enhance lives. Its mission is to promote awareness of the field in terms of new technologies that improve medical care and higher quality food for people throughout the world. It works with lawmakers and government agencies to promote sound public policies. It also promotes national interest in science, engineering and education, and recognizes individual, group achievements and contributions to medical and biological engineering.

For more information, media representatives should contact Sweeney at (239) 590-7592.